The New Jerusalem and Middle Eastern Nationalism

Abstract

This paper is on the formation and execution of the American missional movement of the early nineteenth century into the early twentieth century and this movements effect on Middle Eastern nationalism. The American missionary movement was founded in American idealism, and religious revival after the United States split from the British Empire. This American idealistic, republican, and protestant movement swept through the United States in the 1800s. This movement led to the formation of Missional groups that felt their goal was to convert the world to Protestantism, democracy and the American culture. The Near East, or Middle East, garnered a large amount of these missional groups focus for it was considered the holy land where Christ was going to return. This influx of American Protestantism and culture to the middle east brought about the building of schools and protestant churches which taught the peoples of the Middle East about western ideals, such as nationalism. Due to the teaching of these western ideas the people of the Middle East began to see the world around them in a different light. Due to this change in thought many used this knowledge to begin nationalistic movements throughout the Middle East in the footsteps of Europe and the United States. Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen.